Weather Index Insurance is a microinsurance product, launched by Mayfair insurance in Zambia in 2014, has been helping small-holder farmers mitigate risks posed by climate change.

Derick Chanda (Chairperson – Kangomba Camp) expressed that most of the farmers in the district did not have insurance to rely on, and that whenever they faced problems or challenges with their crops, they were not sure about where to go and who to ask for help. Now that insurance companies like Mayfair have presence in their lands, they have been able to discuss the technicalities of their insurance agreements and get a better understanding of the coverage and benefits they could get to help them with their farming when facing a challenging situation.

Members of this community recommend other farmers that haven’t joined an insurance firm yet, to be a part of cooperatives or women’s clubs so when they encounter problems, they are able to get assistance from insurance. Farmers state that having insurance can be very helpful with so many problems they can face on a regular basis; and if they are not part of any farming group, it would be really complicated for them to get any kind of needed assistance.

As Patricia Kaoma (SAO-Kabwe District) would say: farmers are very vulnerable, and they do not have a lot of collateral. Actually, most of them do not even have collateral or right to land so they are basically using borrowed fields to plant just for them to have households and some food security. It is because of this vulnerability, that when farmers put the very little they have in the soil and it all goes away because of drought or rain, and they can find themselves losing everything. Now, with the right support of insurance livelihood will be able to sustain.

Farmers in the area are currently very grateful to have received the visit from Mayfair not only to explain to them better what weather index insurance is about, but specially to educate them.

With a big Thank You to:
Niza Banda, Index Insurance Analyst at Mayfair Insurance.
Mweene Monga, Manager Business Development at Mayfair Insurance.